To live and to love

➌

"I'll email them to you," I snapped, snatching the phone away, my cheeks hot and red.

"I look forward to Saturday Shazi," he said, flashing a quick grin, his eyes so dark that they almost seemed black.

My stomach tightened at the words. Saturday couldn't come fast enough.

I had decided to meet him a block away from my place. Donned in a pair of olive green culottes and a black full-sleeved shirt, I'd tried my best to look chic and casual. My pair of golden studs glinted in the evening sun, only partially hidden by my freshly blowdried hair. The layered cut accentuated my features and made my round face look slimmer. My only makeup was my full berry lip and a few coats of mascara.

I thought I looked pretty great.

With my small crossbody slung across my body and my laptop in my hands, I entered Le Petit Déjeuner Parisien with confidence. The charmingly quaint indoor and outdoor café was peppered with footpath tables and it proudly showed off a counter piled with custom made pastries. I found Waleed waiting at one of the few tables lined against the back windows, giving him a good vantage point to watch the street bustle with cyclists and scooters.

He hadn't seen me yet, his dark head bowed, as he looked at his phone. Thank God for small miracles. His diverted attention gave me the time to examine him as I walked towards our table. He was dressed impeccably, in black denim and a casual navy sweater.

We'd managed to twine with our choice of white sneakers.

"Hi," he greeted as I walked towards him, standing up and pulling out the adjacent chair. Great, he was a gentleman as well.

With every passing action, Waleed was making it impossible to ignore him.

"Hello," I muttered, pulling the laptop from its case and powering it on. "Okay. So..."

"You're not going to order first?"

An unintentional smile bloomed on my face. Eager were we? "This won't take much time."

His face fell but he didn't say anything else. Clicking on the file, I started to list off the names on the screen, rattling of the reasons I'd chosen that particular person, their qualifications, etc. "And... Waleed are you listening?" he was staring at me, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes unfocused.

He coughed and took a sip of his drink, his impossibly long lashes lowering, shielding his eyes as he lifted his head.

Damn it, why was he so good looking?

"Seems like you've done a lot of thinking and research."

"I'm very particular about my work."

He stared at me, again with a strange look on his face. "I'm impressed. You've chosen quite a team."

"Do you agree?"

"I wouldn't go with so many people at the same time, however. Does Vivian know how to design graphics?" I nodded. "Then we'll shorten the list to 4 people, I also have a couple of interns in mind."

"A team of six?"

"A team of six will be more than enough."

"An artistic director, graphic designer."

"Who's also a marketing head," he interjected, jotting the points down on his phone.

"A businessman, an accountant, and two interns?"

"Quite a team isn't it?"

"If you say so,"I muttered, nervously chewing on my bottom lip. "And the overall look and theme of the magazine?"